Cutter chain



w. w sLoANE GUTTER CHAIN Patented Apr. 16, 1946 ,UNITED STATES CUTTER William W. Sloane, Chicago, Ill., assignor toA Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application October 11, 1944, Serial No.Y 558,123

4 claims., (c1. 26a-33),

This invention relates to improvements in cutter chains for kerf-cutting machines, and has as its principal objects to provide a novel and improved form of cutter chain so arranged as to minimize wear on the parts of the chain and to provide sprocket tooth bearing for each link of the chain without decreasing the strength of the chain. Y

Another object oi my invention is to provide a Vnew and improved cutter chain having a novel form `of means for detachably holding the bits of the chain in their respective chain blocks.l

Other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein: i

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cutter chain arranged to cut a horizontal kerf, showing the chain passing around its drive sprocket, with certainV parts of one of the bit carrying blocks of thecutter chain broken away and certain other parts thereof shown in horizontal section;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the cutter chain with certain parts broken away and tudinal section; V

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through one of the bit carrying blocks 0f the cutter chain and showing the cutter bar about which the chain travels, in transverse section;

'certain other parts shown in substantially longicompletely cut a kerf of sufiicient width to cut clearance for a cutter bar I8, about which said cutterV chain is guided. `Said cutter barmay be of any well known form sois not herein shown or described in detail.` i i Each side plate I'I is provided with a longitudinal gib I9 extending along its-inner end, which is adapted tol engage a gibbed guide 20 formed inthe cutter bar I8', to Vretain said cutter chain within said bar as it travels thereabout. VSaid side plates and gibs also have an arcuately formed recessed inner end 2 I, which is formed to conform to the form of thecurved forward end of the cutter bar, to enable the chain to freely travel around said cutter bar.

The bit carrying body portion I5 of each chain i 'block I0 extends laterally beyond the side plates Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially along line 5--5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is an end View of the cutter chain showing the cutter chain guided in its cutter bar and showing the various positions of several blocks and cutter bits of the chain.

Referring now to the drawing the cutter chain shown is an endless chain including a plurality of cutter bit carrying blocks I0, I0 pivotally con`- nected together by links I I, II and having cutter bits I2, I2 held in position therein in bit holdersV I3, I3, mounted in sockets I4, I4 formed in a body f portion I 5 of each of said blocks.

i Each cutter bit carrying block is of a substantially U-shaped formation and includes the bit carrying body portion I5, which has a pair of parallel spaced side plates I l, I'I extending inwardly therefrom and herein shown as being formed integrallytherewith. Said body portions of different bit carrying blocks of the chain are arranged at diierent angles in a well known manner, so that the several bits of the chain may IT, I1 and has inner shoulderedportions 23, 23, which, as herein shown, extend to the outer margins of the cutter` bar I8. Said shouldered portions'are adapted to Yhave bearing engagement withV the outer side of said cutter bar and c0- operate with the gibs I9, I9, to aid in holding said cutterjchain in parallel relation with respect to the outer side of said cutter bar during travel of Vsaid chain about said cutter bar, and thus to reduce wear on said cutter bar and chain. The bit holder I3 includes a bit receiving member 25 and a bit clamping member 26 having interengaging connection therewith. Said bit receiving member has an advance face which is inclined at the angle of the bit and is adapted to be abutted by the back surface of the bit, and has parallel spaced sides extending along opposite sides of theV bit. Said bit receiving member has a head 29, on the outside of said body portion, whichv serves to limit inward movement of said member with respect to the socket I 4 and which also serves to back up the portion of said bit which extends outside of said block. Said bit receiving member has a tongue 3U projecting forwardly from its innerrend, which is adapted to extend within a slot 3l formed in the clamping member 26, to retain said clamping member in the proper-position in said block to receive the cutter bit when initially inserted therein, and to prevent the separation of said clamping member from Vsaid bit receiving member, whenthe cutter bit has been removed from said bit holder. The clamping member 26 has a rear face which is adapted to engage the lower end of the advance face of thecutter bit I2, and which is held in engagementtherewith by means of a set screw 33 threaded in the advance end of said bit carrying body portion and engaging a portion t4 of clamping' member from being thrown from the block, during cutting, and in cases where the cute ter chain bits may --be broken off or where. said clamping member was ficiently to prevent said bits from being ythrown from said bit clamping member. v

A simplified form of Abit holding member has thus been provided to retain the cutter bit I2 within its bit receiving block, Which-is positively held within its block by a retaining screwY threaded through one end of said block andwhich isv clampedtothe bit to positively hold the vbit with- Vin said 'bite clamping member by means of a set screw threaded-inthe opposite end-of said block.

The bit receivingsockets I4, I4 in the blocks I9, I0, which are inclined at, the different angles with respect to the side plates of said block vin the different 'blocks of the-chain, vto position the4 cutter bits to cut a'kerf in the coalface sufficiently wide to admitthe cutter bar I8, arealso so arranged that their lower portionsvcome to'one side or the other of the spacebetween the side plates Il, Il. Th'iskeeps the inner ends of the bit holders I3, I3 out of the; space between the insides of said side plates, and provides an unimpaired sprocket tooth receiving recess-between each of said' side plates, and'also provides an opening in the lower end of said socket for ready access to` each bit holder and `cutter bit therefor. The various blocks of the'chain when assembled may form a pattern; somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 6, and are so positioned that no bit receiving socket extends withinthe'space between said side platesand that certain of the bits are to one side of the center lineof the ch'ain and cerf tain other of the bits are at the opposite side of said center line so that the bits are all substantially evenly spaced tocompletely cut out the coal from the upper to lower end of the kerf, when the cutter chain is cutting in a horizontal plane.

The links I I, IIl each'include a pair of parallel spaced straps 31, 3'I connected together by shouldered connecting sleeves 39, 39 (see Figure 5). Each'fof said sleeves, as herein shown, has abearing portion in the space between said parallel spacedstraps, which is adapted to' be received in the space between adjacent teeth of a cutter chain drivel sprocket 49 and which is also adapted to be engaged by said adjacent sprocket teeth, so that each ofsaid sleeves is drivenby a sprocket tooth, to provide a more eicient and positive means Vfor driving the chain from its sprocket than formerly, without sacrificing strength of the ch'ain.

The parallel spaced side straps 31, 31 and their shouldered sleeves 39, 39 extend in the space between the sideV plates I'I, Il of the chain blocks l0, I0, and are pivotally connected thereto by means of'bushings 4I, 4I extending through said shouldered sleeves andthrough said side plates. Locking pins 43, 43' extend through the centers of said bushings and' have bent-over ends 44, 44, which extendA Within slots 45' and 46 formed in 'the ends of'said bushings and said side straps, respectively, to lock said bushings from turning -movement with respect to said sideplates, so said not initially tightened sufbushings may form bearing members for said shouldered sleeves 39, 39.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and s cope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specic embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be 4limited in the appended claims.

' 'L I claim as my invention:

l; In a cutter chain and in combination with a driveY sprocket therefor, a plurality of bit carrying links, each ofsaid links having a bit carrying body portion having a plurality of parallel spaced side plates extending inwardly therefrom, each of said body portions being apertured to receivea cutter bit and said apertured portions being so arranged as to maintain said bit at the proper cutting anglek and out of the space between said side plates, to provide an uninterrupted space between said side plates, `and means for pivotally connecting said links together so as to provide sprocket tooth' bearing on each link of the chain including a pair of parallel spaced links, sleeve for connecting Vsaid links together adjacent their opposite ends, said links being adapted to extend in the space between said side plates and said sleeves being adapted toA provide sprocket tooth bearing for the links of said chain, aseparate bushing extending through each of said sleeves and opposite of said side plates, and means connected with said bushings,.to connect the links oi the chain together and'to hold said bushings from rotation with respect to said side plates, so said bushings may form bearings for said sleeves.

2. Inv acutter chain and in combination with a drive sprocket therefor, a plurality of bit-carrying links, each of said links having a bit carrying body portion having a plurality of parallel spaced side plates extending inwardly therefrom, each of said body portions being apertured to receive a cutterbit and said apertured portions being so arranged as to maintain said bit at the proper cutting angle and out of` the space between said side plates, to provide an uninterrupted space between said side plates, and means for pivotally'connecting said links, together so as to provide sprocket tooth bearing on each'link of the chain including a pair of parallel spaced links, sleeves for connecting said links together adjacent their opposite ends, said links vbeing adapted to extend in the space between said side plates, and said sleeves being adapted to provide sprocket tooth bearing for the links of said chain, a separate bushing extending through each of said sleeves and opposite of said side plates, and a pin for locking said bushings to said side plates, to hold said bushings from rotation and to connect the links of said chain together so said bushings may form pivotal bearings for said sleeves.

3. In a cutter chain and inv combination with a cutter bar having a channelled guide Within which the cutter chain is guided, a sprocket for driving said cutter chain about said cutterl bar, said chain including a plurality of bit carrying links having a bit carrying body portion having a cutter bit detachably'mounted therein and having parallel spacedside plates extending inwardly therefrom, said side plates each having a longitudinal gib on itsl inner end, to retain, said links within.' the guides of said= cutter bar, and having longitudinally .extending shouldered portions at their outer ends which are adapted to have bearing engagement with the outer side of said cutter bar, said bit carrying body portions of said links each having a bit receiving socket and said body portions being arranged at diierent angles for different bit carrying links of the chain so as to maintain each bit at the proper cutting angle, and said body portions and sockets being arranged to keep the inner end of each bit cut of the space between said side plates in each different position of said bits in the several bit carrying linksof said chain, to provide an uninterrupted sprocket tooth receiving space between said side plates, and means for connecting said links together so as to provide sprocket tooth bearing on each link of the chain including a pair of parallel spaced links, sleeves extending through opposite ends of said links, for connecting said links together, each of said sleeves providing a sprocket tooth bearing surface so a sprocket tooth may engage each link ofthe chain,

i and means extending through said sleeves and said side plates, forming a bearing surface for saidv sleeves and connecting the links of the chain together. t

4. In a cutter chainand in combination with a cutter bar having a channelled y'guide within which the cutter chain is guided, a sprocket for driving said cutter chain about said cutter bar, said chain including a plurality of bit carrying links having a bit carrying body portion with tions extending at different angles with respect to said side plates to hold the cutter bits at angles sufficient to cut clearance for the entire chain and cutter bar, and said body portions each having a bit receiving socket formed therein and spaced to one side of the space between said side plates, to maintain said bits at the proper cutting angle and to keep their inner ends out of the space between said side plates in each different position of the several bits, to provide an uninterrupted sprocket tooth receiving space between said side plates, said side plates having longitudinal gibs on their inner ends adapted to retain said links within the guides of said cutter bar and said body portions extending laterally from said side plates and having inner shouldered portions adapted to have bearing engagement parallel spaced side plates extending inwardly therefrom, certain of said bit carrying body porwith the outer side of said cutter bar, and means for connecting said links of said chain together so as to provide sprocket tooth bearing on each link of the chain includinga pair of parallel spaced links having sleeves extending through opposite ends thereof, each of said sleeves providing sprocket tooth lbearing so a sprocket tooth may engage each link of the chain, a separate bushing extending through each of said sleeves and said side plates of said chain, and means for locking said bushings to said side plates and for holding them from rotation with respect thereto so said bushings may form pivotal bearings for said sleeves. Y

WILLIAM W. SLOANE. 

